Chinese football fans flock to the streets after surprise win over arch-rival South Korea

HUNAN — Chinese fans erupted in euphoria after a surprise victory over its arch-rival South Korea in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Thursday (March 23), only the third time for Chinese national soccer team to have done so in over 30 matches since 1978.

The rare 1-0 victory in Changsha, Hunan province, came amid rising nationalist sentiment in the mainland against its Asian neighbour since a controversial US anti-missile system being deployed in the Korean Peninsula despite Beijing’s fierce opposition.

Chinese team made a victory lap after the match, with glowsticks in their hands.

Fans flocked to the streets after the match. Some held a giant national flag and sang Chinese national anthem as they marched on the street.

The match was closely monitored by mainland authorities for fear that nationalist sentiment over the deployment of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea could get out of control and erupt into mass protests if China lost yet again to South Korea.

Beijing has been carefully balancing its stoking of nationalist sentiment while making sure riots similar to the anti-Japanese protest in 2012 would not be repeated. No nationalist banners or T-shirts were seen in the stadium on Thursday night.

More than 10,000 police officers were deployed in the southern Chinese city to ensure an expected 30,000 spectators played by the rules at the World Cup qualifier match.

The surprise victory revived hopes for China to enter the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup even though the chance remains very slim. The Chinese national team would have been knocked out of the cup if it fails to secure a victory in the final stage of the group matches of the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup Asian qualifiers. China has suffered three defeats and two draws in its previous five matches, including a 3-2 loss to the South Korean side in Seoul six months ago.

Local residents from Changsha boasted that the China national team had never lost in the He Long Sports Centre.

“Most rational people would expect China to lose but they don’t know about Changsha and how blessed the national team is in Changsha,” said Zeng Muyang, a Changsha resident. “While those from out of town didn’t think China had a good chance, we had faith that we wouldn’t lose in this building.

“We didn’t really sense or talk about anything related to THAAD. Soccer is soccer. We beat them, which proves that we are better than they are in soccer. And that’s enough for fans.”

Li Yuanchang, also from Changsha, said he took a day off from work and came back from Jiangsu province just to watch the game.

“I didn’t think they were going to win,” he said, “but the crowd was so united tonight. It really lifted the morale of the whole building. Changsha amazes me every time.

“We are gonna celebrate with a few of our friends. We are going to drink and probably chant outside the hotel where the national team stays. We have to congratulate them.”

“Emotion certainly ran high for this game, which is beyond question.”

“The square was packed with people at around 5pm. The fan-to-police ratio of 3:1 seems accurate. I think it is important that the government made sure game didn’t turn into a riot.”

They said they bought the tickets for more than 2,000 yuan, roughly quadruple the original price of 580 yuan.

The security department of the official preparatory work committee in Changsha warned fans against besieging or attacking either the referee or players, and said any mass gathering or taking to the streets was strictly prohibited regardless of the game’s result.

Before the match, Jian Mangen, head of the “Team Dragon” supporters’ club, said that more than 5,000 members of his club had arrived in Changsha to watch the game. “Football fans from my club are relatively rational and I don’t think they will react irrationally whatever the result,” he said. “But I’m not 100 per cent sure if something might happen among other fans.

“I will be satisfied and accept whatever the result is, provided that the national team spares no effort in pursuit of winning this evening’s game,” said the veteran fan of the Chinese national team who led a contingent of more than 1,000 fans from China to Seoul to support the national team at its away match on September 1.

Having been mocked by domestic fans for years for “the symptom of fearing Korea”, the Chinese team is generally considered to have limited chances of beating the visiting South Korean squad, which ranked number two in the qualifying group ahead of Thursday evening’s game. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST